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(No Mod el.)

"ZgB. HENDRIX. MAIL BAG FASTENING.

Patented'Se'pt. 12,1893.

No. 505,045. I

' Invntor.

25m. awmm &

Witnesses: X 1 I .lttomey.

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ATENT ZADOX B. HENDRIX, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOWILLARD P. BRICKLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,045, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filed October 1, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ZADOX B. HENDRIX, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Anderson, in the county of Madison and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-BagFastenings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front view of the bag and fastening. Fig.2 is a vertical transverse, section taken on line a; m Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa perspective detail of plate and stable and Figs. 4c and 5 are detailviews of plates B and E. p

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements inmail bag fastenings, and it consists in the novel construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter specified and pointed out in theclaim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates anordinary mailbag, to which my improved fastening is applied. Secured tothe upper front portion of the bag by rivets a, a, is an oblong metallicplate B, formed at intervals with narrow elongated vertical slots 12,similar registering slots being provided through the thicknesses of thebag.

Riveted to the inner face of the closing flap A of the bag is a seriesof narrow vertical plates 0, each of which carries a staple D, saidplates and staples corresponding in number and position to the slots inthe bag and plate B, through which slots they pass when the bag isclosed.

E designates the locking plate, which is arranged to slide upon theouter face of the plate B, from right to left, and reversely. This plateE is cut away at intervals as shown at c, c, and in each of saidcut-away portions is formed a tongue F, integral with the body of theplate, and projecting in the direction of the length thereof. Saidtongues correare respectively adapted to engage when the Serial No.447,506- (N'o model.)

spond in number to the staples D, which they looking plate is slid tothe right, said staples projecting through sufficiently for thispurpose. The lock plate is held to the plate 18 by means of the wiresfif, on the plate B, which extend transversely over the locking plate,the latter being notched at its lateral edges, as shown at g, g, topermit its play.

Secured to the central portion of the plate B, near its upper edge, is ahasp G, having therein a slot L which receives the central staple D, andthrough this staple when the hasp is down, is passed the ordinarypadlock or mail bag lock I-I. Said hasp also serves as a handle by meansof which the sliding plate may be moved back and forth. The rivets a, a,which secure the plate B, should be placed near the center, so as not tointerfere with the opening of the bag to receive and discharge mail.

To lock the bag, the flap A is closed, the staples passing through theslots provided therefor. The locking plate is then slid to the right toengage its tongues with said staples, the hasp closed, and the ordinarylock applied. To open the bag, this operation is simply reversed.

It will be apparent that this device is extremely simple andinexpensive, forming a secure and effective fastening, and one whichrequires but a moment to operate.

Although in the accompanying drawings, I have shown a fastening havingfive staples, and the other parts in correspondence therewith, it willbe understood that any suitable number of the staples may be employed.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

In a mail bag fastening, the combination with an oblong metallic plate Bsecured to the upper front portion of the bag, and having therein aseries of vertical slots 1), located over corresponding slots in thethicknesses of the bag, of the series of narrow vertical plates 0riveted to the inner face of the closin g flap of the bag, the staplescarried by said plates 0 and adapted to engage the slots in In testimonywhereof Iaffix my signature in the said front flap and plate B, alocking plate presence of two Witnesses. E arranged to sl1 de upon theouter face of the ZADOX B HENDRIX plate 13 and havlng cut-away portlonsc, 0, 1n 1 5 each of which is a tongue F, the notches g, g, atWitnesses:

the end portions of said locking plate, and the SAMUEL P. MOORE, holdingWires f, f, substantially as specified. WILLIAM J. DOVE.

